Attack on Eindhoven airfield, 9/10 September 1940
 

Does anyone know which RAF unit, if any, attacked Eindhoven during this night? I'm following up an Ultra report, with a view to posting something on my web pages and the Germans don't mention which type was involved.

Re: Attack on Eindhoven airfield, 9/10 September 1940
 

The Germans could not mention the type, because there was no attack of the RAF.
The fire at the airfield was caused by a returning He 111 of II./KG 4 which has thrown a bomb
at it's own airfield and not at the 'Notabwurfplatz' near Oirschot.
After it has dropped the bomb(s) it flew against a train in the approach to the airfield.
Three of the four crewmembers were killed in the crash.

Jaap

Re: Attack on Eindhoven airfield, 9/10 September 1940
 

Thanks Jaap. It's nevertheless interesting that the following evening, the Germans still believed that the RAF had been responsible. I wonder how long it took them to work out what had really happened?

Re: Attack on Eindhoven airfield, 9/10 September 1940
 

Jaap. Did the plane crash into a train? Did someone not post a picture recently of a He.111 that crashed into a train?

Nick, I suspect they figured it out once the survivor was able to talk about it.

Stephen

Re: Attack on Eindhoven airfield, 9/10 September 1940
 

Hi,

it might be a Wellington bomber from no.3 Group. It was targeting Essen but two bombs were aimed at Shiphol on returning leg. But most likely it could be a Whitley bomber from no.4 Group, which bombed an airfield in Holland between 02.30 and 02.45 hrs.
Germans reported that the attacking aircraft had flown 2 bomb runs.
This He 111P (4./KG4) was in landing circuit when it was caught by the blast of exploding bombs and crashed into the train.

Regards

Robert

Re: Attack on Eindhoven airfield, 9/10 September 1940
 

In my opinion the so-called RAF attack was a cover-up operation for the mistake the German pilot has made.

Robert.
The bomb(s) had fallen in the far south-west side of the airfield and the plane crashed against the train on the railway track between Best and Eindhoven, north-east of the airfield, just on the south-side of the bridge over the canal.
The distance between the bombed location and the crashsite 6-7 km.

Stephen, show me the picture and maybe I can tell you if this was the site.

I live in the area and have 30 years of experience in researching the history of Eindhoven airfield during WW2.

Jaap